Sunset stirred slowly. Her head felt strangely foggy, even more so than it usually did in the morning. Cracking her eyes open, she slowly raised her head, hoping that things would stop swaying soon.

An absolute lunatic was strolling around the room, tidying up the detritus of the day before. "Good morning," Fluttershy said in a sickeningly chipper voice.

"Morning," Sunset managed to mumble. "Where's Rarity?"

Fluttershy nodded to a corner of the room. There sat Rarity, wrapped up in a blanket, sipping a bottle of water, and squinting at the opposite wall.

"Now that you're both awake, here." Fluttershy handed both girls a plateful of sliced apples each. Given the brilliant violet sheen of their skins, Sunset suspected that they were magical. "Eat these. They'll make you feel better. I'll get you some water, too."

Neither Sunset nor Rarity spoke as they ate their unusual breakfast. Slowly, the combination of fructose, magic, and whatever medicine Fluttershy had slipped into the water all worked together to get Sunset feeling somewhere close to human.

When it appeared that the two were capable of holding a conversation, Fluttershy decided to herd them into the showers. That plan hit a minor bump when the girls opened the door, only to find Primrose waiting for them outside with bags under her eyes.

"Good morning, Ladies," Primrose said with a grim nod. "I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news."

Sunset resisted the urge to groan loudly. "What's happened?"

Quickly and efficiently, Primrose explained how three members of Talon Company had tried to force their way upstairs, and how one of them had a Geode that gave her speed similar to Rainbow Dash's. She then went on to summarize what precautions had been taken once the interlopers had been dealt with.

When Primrose was done, Sunset gave in to the urge to groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why didn't anyone tell us about this last night?"

"We were asked not to disturb you unless it was an emergency," Primrose replied. "Since Lady Dash managed to handle the incident without too much trouble, we felt that it didn't constitute an emergency."

Sunset shot Rarity an annoyed glare, easily deducing who had demanded privacy. "From now on, if something like that happens, tell us immediately."

Primrose bowed obediently. "As you wish, Lady Shimmer."

"That's three new Geodes that we know of." Fluttershy but her lip anxiously. "Um, isn't both the Super Mutants and Talon Company having one each a big problem?"

"It's a huge problem." Sunset heaved a sigh, feeling her plans for a shower vanishing like mist. "We have to let the Brotherhood and the Enclave know. Where are the rest of the girls?"

"Applejack is downstairs, and I believe the others are at Craterside Supply," Primrose replied.

Sunset tried not to swear at the prospect of having to go and see Moira so soon after waking up. She wasn't in the mood to deal with cheeriness. "Okay, we'll go and find them. Go get some sleep, you look like you didn't sleep a wink.'

Leaving the grateful Handmaiden behind, the three girls made their way downstairs. It was slow going, as Sunset felt her stomach lurch with every downward step, and a quick glance revealed that Rarity was having the same issue. The faint pulse of Equestrian magic all around did help Sunset keep her wits about her, though.

Applejack was waiting in the Temple's main hall, staring up at the magic brazier. She didn't even notice the arrival of the girls until they were standing right next to her. "Oh, hey! Didn't see you there. Uh…" Applejack tipped her hat back and raised an eyebrow as she got a good look at Sunset and Rarity. "What the heck happened to you two? You look like you had a bit too much hard cider last night."

"It wasn't cider, it was wine," Sunset replied. She held up a hand in response to Applejack's querulous look. "I just had to get some shit out in private, I'll explain everything later."

"Don't fret, sugarcube, Ah get it." Applejack leaned in and lowered her voice as she asked, "Did Primrose let you know what happened last night?"

Sunset nodded. "Talon Company, yeah. We need to warn the-"

"Brotherhood and the Enclave," Applejack finished. "Yeah, we figured. Rainbow considered flying straight to the Citadel this mornin', but we convinced her to wait until you woke up. Come on, they're up at Moira's."

Walking past the early visitors to the Temple, Sunset assumed that the worst thing she would face outside would be the ever-present stares from ill-mannered residents. That was, until Applejack opened the door.

"Holy shit, it's cold!" Frosty air slapped Sunset in the face the instant the door opened, then surged into her lungs just to make sure it had her attention.

"Yeah, it's a cold one this mornin'." Applejack blew out a cloud of warm breath. "Winter's definitely on it's way."

"It's freezing," Rarity hissed, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering violently.

Fluttershy held her arms up, frowning curiously as she inspected them. "That's strange. I can feel the cold but… I don't feel cold. Does that make sense?"

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Sunset ground out. Silently cursing the benefits of FEV-induced vampirism, she led the way as quickly as she could up to Craterside Supply, stuffing her hands beneath her armpits to try and keep them warm.

The blast of warm air as Sunset pushed the door to the store open was unbelievably welcome, as was the sight of Rainbow Dash holding up a blazing Flashburn, using her blade's magic to efficiently heat the surrounding area. The rest of the Rainbooms were huddled around her, as were Adam, a handful of other customers, and the store's guard.

"There you are!" Twilight called out as the group entered. "We were wondering when you were going to show up."

Sunset apologized quickly. "Sorry, we stayed up late. We heard about what happened with Talon Company. Is everyone okay?"

"We're all good," Rainbow replied. "We were just talking to Moira about the next step in the Survival Guide."

A dull moan from the counter caught Sunset's attention. Moira was sitting with her head on the countertop, wrapping in what looked like four or five blankets. She was a far cry from her usual chipper self. "What happened to her?" Sunset asked.

"The Brotherhood of Steel kept her up all night with nursing duties," Twilight replied with a mildly amused smirk. "Apparently, they had her doing everything from drawing blood and stitching up wounds to dressing plasma burns and helping attach new cybernetics. She did say that she got plenty of notes, though."

Sunset shook her head. "Right… Anyway, the next part of the Guide is going to have to wait. We have to let Elder Lyons and President Shoichet know about Talon Company."

"Actually, we can kill two birds with one stone," Adam piped up. "Moira wants us to go to Rivet City and learn how it was founded. She figures that learning how successful settlements grow could be useful for people trying to settle further out in the wastes, and she already has Megaton's history. We can stop at the Citadel on the way."

"Or I can do it myself," Rainbow cut in. She deactivated Flashburn, getting grumbled complaints from the others, and looked at Sunset. "Want me to fly down and get this over with quickly?"

Sunset shook her head. "No. You've been down to the Citadel and back on your own already, it's too risky to keep you out there without backup, especially now we know that there's someone else out there with super speed. We'll all go."

"That's not a great idea," Fluttershy told her. "Neither you nor Rarity are in any real condition to fight if it comes down to it. A small strike team would be better."

"Good point." Sunset crossed her arms and pondered her options. "Okay. Rainbow, take Adam, Pinkie, and Twilight with you. Head straight to the Citadel first, then go on to Rivet City. See if Elder Lyons can get word through to Three Dog as well. The wasteland should be warned about the new Geodes in town."

"Yes, Knight-Captain!" Rainbow snapped a crisp salute.

"The rest of us can coordinate with Simms and make sure that Megaton is as secure as it can be," Sunset continued. "I don't want to take any risks with whatever other rogue magic is out there." She looked around at each of her friends in turn, unhappy about splitting the group up, but accepting the necessity of the situation. "Alright girls, move out!"

---

The mirelurk hissed and swiped with a claw, forcing Rainbow to skip backwards to avoid losing her head. She ducked under the next attack, stepping smoothly under the mirelurk's guard, then lunged forward and rammed Flashburn into the mirelurk's unprotected face. The mirelurk burbled as it died.

Ripping her blade out of the foul-smelling corpse, Rainbow looked around to see how the others were faring. She was just in time to see Pinkie blow the last mirelurk to pieces with a shot from her Party Cannon.

"Is everyone okay?" Twilight asked.

"We're good," Adam replied, reloading his plasma rifle. "I need to pick up some more ammo, though. How far are we from the Citadel?"

Rainbow pointed with Flashburn to the nearby bridge. "It's just past there. Careful, raiders sometimes camp out under the bridge."

The others nodded grimly, but the group were glad to find that the underside of the bridge was completely abandoned. Pressing on, they soon found themselves joining a squad of Knights on their way back to the Citadel from Project Purity.

Rainbow asked around for Elder Lyons the moment she got inside the Citadel, but no-one knew where exactly he was. Eventually, after being directed to three different sections, she discovered that he was overseeing the installation of long-range communication equipment with a team of Enclave engineers up on the roof.

Leaving Adam to requisition more ammunition from the armory, and sending Pinkie with him to make sure he didn't get lost, Rainbow and Twilight headed up to the roof to deliver their report. They finally found the Elder watching the engineers setting up a large satellite dish. He looked around as Rainbow called out. "Knight-Sergeant? Is there a problem?"

"I hate to say it, but yes, sir," Rainbow replied as she saluted. "We've found another Geode, this time with Talon Company. It gives the woman wearing it super speed just like mine. We figured you'd want to know."

Elder Lyons sighed heavily, the cold air turning it into a billowing cloud. "Only the naïve would think that ending the war with the Enclave would be the end of our problems, but I confess that I expected things to get a little easier afterwards. Instead, new problems just seem to keep cropping up."

"This new one is a pretty big one," Twilight put in. "This is the second Geode we've encountered in the wrong hands. You've seen what Rainbow Dash can do, with that power in Talon Company's grasp-"

"They will be a considerable threat," Lyons finished. "I am aware, Miss Sparkle. In fact, the situation is more troublesome than even you know. According to reports from Galaxy News Radio, an ongoing conflict between the Super Mutants and Talon Company ended sometime last night, apparently peacefully. I don't think I need to tell you how concerning an alliance between the two factions could be." He crossed his arms and turned back to the satellite dish. "Unfortunately, dealing with the two of them is going to have to wait."

The two girls shared a surprised look. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, Scribe Sparkle, I am," Elder Lyons replied, though he didn't sound it. "Talon Company and the Super Mutants are dangerous, especially with their Geodes, but they are not much of a threat to the Brotherhood of Steel just yet. We have to prioritize."

"With respect, Elder, I thought the Brotherhood of Steel was dedicated to protecting the ordinary people in the Capital Wasteland," Rainbow pressed. "If you don't nip this problem in the bud, soon, we're going to be seeing a lot more dead wastelanders around here."

"Nipping problems in the bud is exactly why we can't afford to deal with the Super Mutants or Talon Company just yet," Elder Lyons countered. He glanced back over his shoulder at the girls. "There is something powerful lurking beneath the ruins of Raven Rock."

Twilight gasped in recognition. "The creature Eden mentioned? The one created from Melchior's remains?"

Lyons nodded. "There is also a report from Horrigan of another creature, a woman, who wields powerful magic and also dwells beneath Raven Rock. We believe that the two may be one and the same, given that the woman has displayed an ability to control the mutated monsters of the mountain, a power once shared by Melchior himself."

"Hold up a second, who's Melchior?" Rainbow asked.

"I'll tell you later," Twilight replied.

"Regardless, this is our highest priority at the moment," Elder Lyons cut in. "If this woman really can control mutated wildlife, then we need to confirm her intentions and, if need be, stop her before she gets her hands on a magical deathclaw or a Scorchbeast. We'll be coordinating with the Enclave to send in a task force over the next few days for that exact purpose." He shifted his shoulders to settle his robes more comfortably. "Was there anything else?"

Rainbow shook her head. "No. We just figured you know about the new Geode."

"You made the right decision. Thank you, girls. You're dismissed." Elder Lyons turned his attention back to the satellite dish as the girls left the roof.

With their primary task done, the girls found Adam and Pinkie on their way back from the armory and started on the way to Rivet City. A squad of Knights on their way out for patrol offered to escort the group as far as Project Purity, much to their relief.

As they walked along the now-familiar route towards the Memorial, the girls once again huddled around Flashburn, Rainbow pondered what the Elder had told them. "So… this Melchior guy? He had magic?"

"Not quite, he had psychic powers," Twilight replied. "Melchior was a Super Mutant who lived on this country's west coast decades ago, long before we ever arrived. His powers let him control mutated wildlife."

"He sounds kinda like Fluttershy," Pinkie said.

Rainbow shook her head vigorously. "Fluttershy doesn't control animals, she just talks to them. They do what she asks because she's nice to them and they like her. That's why you sometimes get one or two asshole creatures that don't listen."

Twilight nodded. "That's right. Melchior didn't have that problem. He used his powers to control their minds, forcing them to do what he wanted."

Trying not to imagine how dangerous such a person would be with Equestrian magic under his belt, Rainbow asked, "How do you know so much about him?"

"Me and Sunset have been studying the Brotherhood and Enclave's records of psykers, people with psychic powers, to try and figure out anything we can about this world's natural background magical field," Twilight replied. "The scary part is that Melchior was not the most dangerous psyker the wasteland has ever seen."

"Who was?" Pinkie asked before Rainbow could stop her.

Twilight shuddered. "Someone who called himself the Master. He was mutated by very prolonged exposure to FEV, which made him phenomenally intelligent, incredibly charismatic, and gave him horrifically powerful psychic abilities. Apparently, the Master's powers were so great that they would leak out constantly, causing intense nausea and absolutely nightmarish hallucinations in everyone who got anywhere near him."

"That sounds pretty damn horrible," Adam muttered.

"That's not even the worst of it," Twilight insisted. "He used his powers to make people face their darkest fears and break them. Then he'd use limited mind control and his own charisma to have them worship him as a god and saviour. He even founded a group called the Unity; an organisation dedicated to turning all of humanity into Super Mutants under his command."

"Whoa…" Rainbow counted herself extremely glad that she wouldn't have to fight something like that. Facing off against soldiers and monsters was pretty awesome, but mind control was just cheating. Not to mention terrifying. "How did they stop him in the end?"

Twilight smiled wryly. "His physical mutations were extensive. He managed to get himself situated in an old Vault, and actually grew into the machinery inside, but it meant that he couldn't actually move. He had to use other people as pawns. Luckily, someone used some kind of psychic protection to get into the Vault and face him, then blew it up with a nuclear bomb for good measure."

"Huh, I wish I was that badass," Adam said flatly.

"Dude, you're already an ass-kicker," Rainbow assured him. "Anyway, back to Melchior. Do you really think that whatever's beneath Raven Rock has got the same powers as him?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know. Horrigan is the only person to have gone inside Raven Rock and come back out with his mind and body still intact, and he says that there's some woman down there who can control the creatures inside. That sounds close enough to be concerned. Horrigan did say that she helped an injured soldier, but we need to know more."

"Yeah, I hear you," Rainbow sighed. "Still sucks about Talon Company, though."

"How did they even get into Megaton?" Adam asked. "I can't imagine Simms being happy with having them around."

Pinkie shook her head. "He wasn't, he was furious when he found out that they had got in. He asked Stockholm about it, but apparently they had a contract that let them in, signed by Simms himself. The sheriff was busy breaking up a brawl near the armory so he couldn't tell Stockholm that it was fake."

Rainbow scowled. "That's pretty lucky timing for them."

"It's not luck if it was planned," Adam said darkly.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "But who would have the resources, the nerve, and a good enough reason to stage a brawl just to distract Simms long enough for Talon Company to get in?"

The four paused in thought for a moment, then huffed and said in unison, "Moriarty."

"Son of a bitch!" Rainbow spat.

"It's clever," Twilight admitted. "It'll be incredibly difficult to pin it on him without solid proof, and you can bet that he made sure there isn't any. As for motive, well, everyone in Megaton knows what happened between him and Sunset."

Adam glanced sidelong at Rainbow. "I'm surprised you haven't killed him just for that."

Rainbow coughed and looked away. "I was going to, right after one of the Children of Atom told me, but Simms overheard and stopped me. He said that he couldn't allow it because Sunset had already dealt with the issue. I didn't want to cause any more problems for you guys, so…"

Pinkie patted her on the back. "Don't worry, Dashie, we'll find a way to put that meanie in his place."

"I hope so." The four moved on to less serious topics as they reached Project Purity. Seeing Liberty Prime again, stomping around as he waited for his next caravan, brought a smile to Rainbow's face. Something about giant battle-robots shaking the earth with every step just spoke to her soul. Sadly, the group couldn't stick around for long. Rivet City was waiting.

The road leading from Project Purity up to Rivet City was surprisingly tidy compared to the last time the girls had gone that way. The tarmac was still cracked and broken, but the usual debris had been cleared away to make the journey that little bit smoother.

"I wonder if people are going to start repairing the road now that it's getting used regularly by the water caravans," Twilight mused.

Rainbow shrugged. "Who knows?" She turned off the road and headed towards a makeshift metal bridge that led to Rivet City's broken bow. She stopped and looked back when she noticed that the others weren't following. "What's up? Where are you going?'

"Where are you going?" Twilight retorted.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Uh, to speak to Pinkerton? The guy who helped found Rivet City?"

"Wait, he founded it?!" Twilight asked incredulously. "Why didn't anyone tell me?!"

"I thought we did," Rainbow replied honestly.

Adam held up a hand. "Isn't that the scientist who helped you find an android or something?"

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. He lives in the broken bow of the ship. We got in last time using Rarity's magic from the flight deck, but look." She pointed at a door in the bow. The makeshift bridge ran right up to it. "I figure that door should take us near his quarters. He has to have some way of getting supplies in and out."

"What about the mirelurks?" Pinkie asked.

"We can handle mirelurks," Rainbow replied. "I'm more worried about whatever traps Pinkerton has set, and that's where you come in."

Pinkie grumbled under her breath, but they all followed Rainbow nonetheless. The bridge creaked loudly under the weight of Adam's armor, putting everyone on edge, but, thankfully, the bridge held. Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, only to swear viciously when she discovered that the door was very solidly locked.

"Hold on, I've got this." Twilight eased around Rainbow and pressed a hand to the door. Her Geode glowed for a second, and the door unlocked with a satisfyingly loud clunk.

Inside, the bow was just as dark and dank as Rainbow remembered. Pinkie went in first, silently disarming landmines, trip wires and rigged grenades as they advanced cautiously. It didn't take long for them to find the button that opened Pinkerton's room.

Rainbow made sure that her hands were already above her head as the red dot of a laser sight settled over her chest, glittering off her armor.

"Oh, it's you lot again," Pinkerton grumbled.

"Nice to meet you too, you crotchety old fart," Rainbow shot back. "And it's just four of us, today."

Pinkerton snorted and stepped aside for the girls to enter, lowering his modified assault rifle, then whipped it back up as Adam lumbered into the room. "Who the hell is this lummox?"

"That's Adam, he's a friend," Rainbow said quickly. "He's the Lone Wanderer that Three Dog talks about on Galaxy News."

"Ah, that guy." Pinkerton nodded and lowered his weapon again. "Alright, get your ass inside so I can close the door." He waited impatiently for everyone to get in, then closed the door and turned to give the group the stink-eye. "Seems like I can't get any peace these days. First you girls, then Harkness comes to see me again, then that Chinese girl comes wanting yet another face-shift, and now you lot are back again. Well? What is it this time? Another android you want me to help you find?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Actually, we're here to help out another egghead friend."

"Book research," Twilight clarified. "We were hoping you could tell us about how Rivet City was first founded."

"Hmph, I don't have either the time or the inclination to stand here and yap about those backstabbers topside," Pinkerton spat.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully, then slipped her pack off and started rummaging around inside. "How about you tell us in exchange for something?" She pulled out a handful of holotapes. "Here. Copies of all of the research we've accrued on how Equestrian magic, our magic, works in this world."

"You just carry that stuff around with you?" Rainbow asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Twilight asked bluntly.

Pinkerton's eyes snapped to the holotapes instantly. "Alright, missy, you've got a deal." He sat down on a nearby stool and gestured for her to take one, too. "Remnants of the Naval Research Institute cleared the mirelurks off this wreck about forty years ago. We were looking for lab-space, and this bucket of bolts just happened to have a well-preserved science bay on it. Everything else just grew up around that lab once we got it up and running. The science team was run by one H. Pinkerton."

"Hold on, you were in charge? How did you end up here?" Rainbow asked.

The grimace that flashed across Pinkerton's features told her that she'd accidentally trodden on a sore spot. "Eighteen years ago, those ambitious backstabbers Li and her little team showed up. She came in with her big 'Project Purity' pipe dream, and my whole staff started working with her, those traitors!"

Rainbow bit the inside of her lip to keep from chewing him out over not assisting such an important endeavor.

"She even took my seat on the council," Pinkerton continued darkly. "By then I was happy to leave it behind, but hell if I'm leaving the city I made great!"

"Do you have any hard evidence of all this?" Adam asked.

"Of course I do! A good scientist always keeps track of their data!" Pinkerton exclaimed. He stood with a huff and strode over to a filing cabinet, muttering under his breath the whole time, rifled through the cabinet, then whipped out a few sheets of yellowed paper and slapped them into Rainbow's hands. "Here. They probably don't even remember, but I kept the records of that first council meeting. Take them, if that'll shut up any doubters."

Twilight nodded and held out the holotapes. "As promised, all of the research on magic in this world, as collected by us, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Enclave. That's everything, unless Miss Nalaar has come up with anything else since the last time we saw her."

"I got myself a radio after you were last here, so I heard that you'd managed to help end the war between those reprobates. Nice work." Pinkerton checked the labels on each of the holotapes, smiling at each one. "Who's Miss Nalaar, by the way? Some Enclave scientist?"

"Actually, she's been the science representative for Rivet City since Doctor Li left to work on Project Purity," Twilight replied. She either ignored or didn't notice the arrested look on Pinkerton's face. "Still, I'm surprised that Rivet City is only forty years old."

Pinkerton coughed and put the holotapes on one of his work benches. "Yes, well, the Capital Wasteland was different back then. The Brotherhood of Steel was still concentrated on the West Coast, the Citadel was occupied by a powerful raider gang, and Canterbury Commons was just a little rest stop for the roving trade caravans. Megaton was the only real safe haven."

"Oh! Oh! What about Ridgefield?" Pinkie asked suddenly, bouncing on her toes and waving her hand in the air. "Do you know what happened to it to make it become Minefield?"

"Minefield?" Pinkerton shook his head. "I heard rumors about a place that used to be called Ridgefield, but that happened before we set up shop here in Rivet City. They say slavers rode into town one day and nabbed everyone except one kid. Rumor says that the kid lured the slavers back and slaughtered them all with a sniper rifle and a whole mess of landmines."

Rainbow felt a lead weight drop in her stomach at his words. The way they had ended the sniper up in Minefield suddenly felt a lot less justified. "Do you know what happened to the kid in the end?"

"Hell if I know, the whole story was probably just local superstition," Pinkerton replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it seems I have some fresh research to sink my teeth into."

The group allowed themselves to be ushered out of the room by the impatient old coot. Rainbow glanced around at the others. The grim expressions all of them were wearing told her that they were all thinking the exact same thing.

"We can't tell Fluttershy," Pinkie said firmly.

"No shit," Rainbow said as she led the group back through the bowels of the ship's bow. "That goes for you too, Adam."

Adam nodded. "I get it. I don't like not telling her, but knowing would crush her. Besides, if you shoot everyone you see on sight, sooner or later you're going to get taken down yourself."

Pinkie stuffed her hands in her pockets and scowled at the floor. "I hate this world."

"Well, the Enclave are working on that portal, so hopefully we won't be here much longer," Twilight put in. "With any luck, this time next week we'll all be sitting in Sugarcube Corner, eating ice cream and talking about our therapy sessions." Several burbling hisses floated up a nearby staircase, prompting her to let out an aggravated groan. "Will you mirelurks just fuck off? We're trying to have a moment here." Twilight clenched her fist and the stairs crumpled like paper. "Ugh. Come on, let's get the hell out of here before anything else horrible happens."

Next Chapter: Chapter 116 - Wasteland Survival Guide: RobCo Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 52 Minutes